Shower-bath device



April 7, 1931.

"in @EEE A. T. HOFF SHOWER BATH DEVICE Filed Feb. 12, 1930 null Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ASBJORN T. HOFF, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HALFDAN IBJORCN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SHOWER-BATH DEVICE Application filed. February 12, 1930. Serial No. 427,766.

This invention relates to shower baths, and more particularly to a portable device which may be conveniently used in connection with a bathtub, washstand or the like, and it has for its principal objects to produce a simple and practical stand which is readily movable at will and has a spray nozzle or head adjustably mounted thereon with provision for detachably connecting it to the regular faucet of the bathtub or washstand, as the case may be, so as to replace the ordinary rubber tube bathroom spray now commonly used, and to attain certain advantages which will hereinafter more fully appear. To this end the invention consists in the novel structural features, and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,-

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, with portions broken away, showing the device as connected to an ordinary bathtub faucet;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing details of structure; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the end wall of an ordinary bathtub, of which only a fragment is shown, on which is mounted the yregular mixing faucet 11 which is connected to the hot and cold water supply pipes in the usual manner and controlled by the valves 12 and 13, respectively. This is for the purposes of illustration only and, of course, as far as the present invention is concerned, the faucet may be of another type and a part of a washstand or other plumbing fixture.

Generally stated, the device of the present invention comprises a portable stand which may be placed onthe floor alongside of the bathtub or washstand, and comprising a weighted base member 14 which is preferably provided with a pad 15 of rubber or other suitable cushioning material so as to eliminate noise in handling the device, and to avoid marring the floor or objects with which it might come in contact. Projecting upwardly from the base member 14 is a tubular standard 16, the lower end portion of which, as shown, is screw-threaded into said base member, but obviously may be otherwise secured in place. Slidably fitted in this tubular'post or standard 16 is a supporting block or member 17 which is releasably secured in Various vertically adjusted positions by a thumb screw 18, or an equivalent element, which is inserted through a longitudinal slot 19 in the lower portion of said post or standard 16 with an interposed clamping disc or member 2() which engages theadjacent outer face of said post or standard. In the illustration in the drawings the post or standard 16 is cylindrical, and the supporting member or block 17 is accordingly cylindrical and, obviously, the inner portion of the clamping member or disc 2O is rounded to conform to the circumferential contour of said post or standard 16. I

In the upper portion of the supporting member or block 17 is an axial bore 17', in which is fitted the lower end portion of a tubular member 21, the jointure, as shown, being effected by a screw-threaded attachment, as at 22. This ,tubular member 21 is fitted to slide through a bushing 23 which is secured, as by a set screw 24 or otherwise, in the upper end portion of said tubular post or standard 16, the upper end portion of said member 21 being curved, as at 25, and provided with a pliable extension 26, at the outer end of which latter an ordinary spray nozzle or head 27 is mounted.

In the side of the supporting member or block 17 is a right angular opening which communicates with the axial bore 17 and in this lateral opening, which is preferably screw-threaded, is fitted the correspondingly screw-threaded shank portion 28 of a coupling member or nipple 29, which latter projects outwardly through the slotted portion 19 of said tubular post or standard 16 for the reception of the end portion 30 of a rubber or other flexible tube 31, which latter is provided at its opposite end 32 with an ordinary coupling head or member 33, by which it may soY be readily/attached to and detached from the faucet 11. A suitable hook 34 or other catch is preferably provided at the upper portion of the post or standard 16, upon which the flexible tube-31 is supported when not in use.

Obviously, owing to the vertical adjustability of the device, it may be made in a conveniently compact size for use by adults as well as children, and it is particularly ad vantageous for use in place of the ordinary rubber tube spray device in that it may be placed in convenient working position with the spray nozzle 27 suspended above the basin of the ordinary washstand and used in shampooing the head, which advantage is manifest in that both hands are free to thoroughly massage the scalp, whereas with the ordinary spray device one hand is required to hold and manipulate the device. The pliable portion 26 of the pipe E25 on which the sprinkler head or nozzle 27 is mounted further facilitates the proper adjustment of the nozzle, which is of paricular advantage when the device is used as a shower in connection with the bathtub. In addition to the compactness and adjustability of the device and its portability, obviously, the base member 14 and the post or standard 16 may be finished in baked enamel, or it may be lacjuered or otherwise painted in colors in keeping with the general color scheme of the fixtures and decoration of the bathroom or other room in which the device is used, and the pipe 25 and other fittings niclrel-plaed 's or otherwise decoratively finished to enhance the appearance of the device. Furthermore, the structure may be modified considerably in general design as well as in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shower bath device comprising a portable stand including a supporting base and a tubular standard, said standard having a longitudinally slotted lower portion, a longitudinally slidable supporting member in said standard, means projected through the longitudinally slotted portion of said standard at its o posite end for detachable connection with a aucet.

2. A portable shower bath device comprising a supporting base, a tubular standard eX- tending upwardly from said base and having a longitudinally slotted lower portion, a supporting member slidable longitudinally -in said standard, means for locking said member in adjusted position including a screw insertable through the slot in said standard and into a screw-threaded opening provided therefor in said member with an interposed cooperating clamping member engageable with the adjacent outer portion of said standard, a tubular member slidable longitudinally in said standard and being connected at its inner end to said longitudinally slidable supporting member and having its outer end portion rebent, and provided with a pliable extension having a sprinkler head at its end, means at the upper end of said standard for slidably supporting and guiding said tubular member, a lateral nipple on said longitudinally slidable supporting member, said nipple being communicable with said tubular member and projecting outwardly through the slot in said standard, and a flexible tube connected at one end to said nipple and having provision at its opposite end :tor detachable connection with a source of water supply.

3. A portable shower bath device comprising a supporting base, a tubular standard extending upwardly from said base, a. tubular member slidable longitudinally in said standard, said tubular member having a supporting and guiding element at its lower end slidably fitted interiorly of said standard and being provided with means for releasably securing it in adjusted position, means at the upper end of said standard for guiding said tubular member therein, a sprinkler head mounted adj ustably on the upper end ot said tubular member in communicable relation thereto, and a flexible tube connected communicably at one end with the lower portion of said tubular member within said standard and having provision at its opposite end for detachable connection with a faucet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ASBJORN T. HOFF.

for releasably locking said supporting member in adjusted position, a tubular member slidable longitudinally in said standard and being attached at its inner end to said longitudinally slidable supporting member, and having at its outer end a spray nozzle, and a flexible tube connected at one end to said longitudinally slidable supporting member and being communicable with said first mentioned tubular member, and having provision 

